Gripping apparatus for aerial ropeways.



PATENTEDOGT. '6, 1905;

w. EICHNER. GRIPPING APPARATUS FOR AERIAL nornwus.

APPLICATION liLHD JAN. 15. 1903.

Patented October 6, i903.

PATENT Fries.

WILHELM EIGHNER, OF CHARKOW, RUSSIA.

GRIPPI NG APPARATUS FOR AERIAL ROPTEWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,830, dated October 6, 1903.

Application fileddanuary 15, 1903. Serial No. 139,203- (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM Eronnna, engineer, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Oharkow, Government of Oharkow, Empire of Russia, have invented new and useful Improvements inGripping Apparatus for Aerial Ropeways, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates toa gripping apparatus for aerial traveling ropeways and belongs to that class of these apparatus in which the clamping action is effected by the weight of the load to be conveyed or the vessel containing this load. The characteristic feature of the present grippingapparatus consists therein that the trolley-frame traveling on the fixed stationary cable or rail and carrying by means of asuspension-frame the said vessel or the load makes a slight oscillatory movement across to said stationary cable or rail in that point of time in which the gripping apparatus is to be opened,'.so that the load or the vessel containing the latter will be released from the traveling rope. To accomplish this releasing effect, one of the gripping-jaws clamping the traveling rope between them is immediately or by means of a suitably-constructed hanger connected with the trolley-frame, while the other jaw is provided on or operated by a joint-piece connecting the trolley-frame with the suspensionframe, which latter carries the load immediately or bymeans of a conveying vessel. At the upper part or the top of the trolley-frame there is provided a roller journaled on a vertically-arrangedpivot, and in that point of time inwhich the releasing of the loader the vessel carrying the latter must take place this top roller is brought in contact with a straight or curved rail arranged horizontally and in such a manner that/the trolley-frame now traveling past this rail will receive the aforesaid crossly-directed oscillatory movement around the stationary supporting cable or rail. In consequence of this. oscillatory movement of the trolley-frame the load or its vessel is a little raised, whereby at same time both gripping-jaws are separated one from another as much as required to entirely free the traveling rope from the gripping apparatus. V

In the annexed drawings, forming a part of ,open condition.

side views of a hanger provided at that conthis specification, Figure 1 is an end view of one form .of my present gripping apparatus, showing the same in closed condition. Fig. 2 shows the same end view of the apparatus, the top roller of the same, however, being in contact with the releasing-rail, and the gripping-jaws are therefore separated from one another. Fig. 3 is an end view of another form of the gripping apparatus. The gripping-jaws are shown in closed condition. Fig. 4 is a side view of this form of the apparatus, while Fig. 5 shows this apparatus in Figs. 6 and 7 are different struction of the gripping apparatus shown by Figs. 3 to 5, while Figs. 8 and 9 show two different side elevations of the trolley-frame of this latter apparatus. The wheels of the trolley-frame are omitted.

In the construction shown by Figs. 1 and 2 the numeral 1 indicates the traveling rope, while 2 and 4: indicate the gripping-jaws, clamping the rope 1 between them when the load is to be conveyed. The jaw 2 is formed integral with the trolley-frame 3, but may also be rigidly attached thereto, The other jaw i is provided at the top of the joint-piece 5;which by means of pivots 7and 9 connects the trolley-frame 3 with the'suspension-frame .6 of the conveying vessel or the load. The numeral 8 denotes a fork formed integral with the frame 3 and containing the bolt 9. The numeral 10 denotes the fixed stationary rail or cable on which the trolley-frame travels. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the 'bolt 9 is arranged at a distance from the vertical stationary rail 10, and for this reason the load has a tendency to turn the trolley-frame 3 in the direction of the arrow 22 around the rail or cable 10, thereby forcing the gripping-jaw 2 toward the other jaw 4. It now the traveling rope passes through the space between both jaws, it will strongly be gripped by the same, the force of this clamping action depending upon the weight of the load andthe proportion of the distances of the rope 1 and the rail or cable 10 from the bolt 9. For the purpose to open the gripping apparatus and release the whole carriage from the drawing action of the traveling rope 1 the trolleyframe 3 carries at its top a roller 11, loosely mounted on a vertical pivot 23 of the frame 3, such roller being adapted to travel along a rail 12, which is suitably provided in the station within which the carriage is to be emptied. This rail, which may be straight or horizontally curved, is arranged in such a manner that the roller 11 touches the same when the trolley-frame 3 is still in the position shown in Fig. 1. While then the trolley-frame continues its travel it is successively turned by the rail 12 into the other position, (shown in Fig. 2,) thereby raising the bolt 9 and simultaneously lifting the load. During this time the jaw t maintains its verticalposition,wl1ile, however, the jaw 2 makes the same oscillatory movement as the trolleyframe 3. In consequence of this movement of the jaw 2 the apparatus is opened as'much as required to entirely release the traveling rope 1. As the effective clamping action of the apparatus is dependent upon the weight of the load and is always in a direct proportion thereto, the traveling rope is only gripped with the force required to draw the load with that is to say, if the load is light the clamping action of the apparatus is littlewhile a heavy load will produce a correspondingly stronger clamping action, so'that even steep gradients of the ropeway can be overcome.

In the form of construction of the apparatus shown by Figs. 2 to 5 the rope 1 travels below the stationary cable or rail 10. For this reason the clamping-jaws must also be provided below this rail 10, and therefore the jaw 2 is arranged at the lower end of a hanger 21, being by means of pivot 13 connected with the central vertical rib 20 of the trolley-frame. The hanger 21 is guided by two ribs lSof the joint-piece 5, which alsoin this construction connects the suspensionframe 6 with the trolley-frame. To prevent the hanger 21 from leaving this guide, the bolt 7-passes through a vertical slot 17 of the hanger, the latter thus being kept down by the head of this bolt. The fork 8 and the bolt 9 serve to connect the joint-piece 5 with the trolley-frame 3. At the lowermost part of the jaw 2 there is provided a fork by means of pivot 14 supporting the jaw at, and this latter carries a lever 15, formed integral with it. Through slots 19 of a fork forming the end of the said lever is passed a pivot 16, connecting the lower end of the joint-piece 5 withthis lever. In this construction the gripping apparatus is closed and opened in quite the same manner as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The load turns the frame by means of the bolt 9 in one direction, thereby causing a small downward movement of the joint-piece 5. As, however, the bolt 13 is arranged centrally within the trolley=frame, as will be seen from the drawings, this bolt is solely enabled to follow the frame 3 in its oscillatory movement; but it cannot make any remarkable vertical movement. In consequence of this fact the aforesaid downward movement of the lever 15 will cause the required approximation of the jaw 4 toward the jaw 2, whereby the traveling rope is strongly gripped.

When the gripping apparatus is to be opened, the roller 11 of the trolley-frame 3 is brought in contact with a'rail12, constructed and arranged in quite the same manner as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The trolley-frame will therefore also receive an oscillatory movement contrary to the direction in which the load tends to move it, whereby thejoint-piece 5,and with it the load, are raised in the required degree to separate the jaw 4 from the jaw 2, so that the traveling rope will be totally freed from the clamping action, as shown in Fig. 5.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same .is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. A gripping apparatus for aerial ropeways, comprising a trolley-frame, a pivot provided at a distance aside from the said trolley-frame, a joint-piece, supported by such pivot, aload-suspension frame, hinged to said joint-piece, a pair of clamping-jaws, so arranged as to be closed and opened by an oscillatory movement of the trolley-frame transverse to the stationary cable'or rail, supporting such frame, a roller loosely mounted on a pivot, provided at the upper part of the trolley-frame, a rail, provided to come in contact with said roller and formingin the groundplane an acute angle with the stationary cable or rail, substantially as set forth.

2. A gripping apparatus for aerial ropeways, comprisinga trolley-frame,a pivot, provided at a distance aside from said trolleyframe, a joint-piece, supported by such pivot, a load-suspension frame hinged to said joint piece, a pair of clamping-jaws, the one being securely connected with the trolley-frame, while the other forms a part of the joint-piece, such clamping-jaws being so arranged, as to be approximated toward each other by an oscillatory movement of the trolley-frame transverse to the stationary cable or rail, supporting such frame, a roller, loosely mounted on a pivot, provided at the upper part of the trolley-frame, a rail provided to come in contact with saidrollerand forminginthegroundplane an acute angle with the stationary cable or rail, substantially as set forth.

3. A trolley-frame for aerial ropeways,comprising a hinge part at the outside of one side part, a rib provided between the front and rear pivot-eyes of the wheel-axles and connecting both side parts of the frame, an eye, provided at the lower part of said rib, a pivot provided at the upper part of the frame, arranged vertically and adapted to carry a roller, substantially as set forth.

4. In an aerial ropeway, the combination of an elevated guide or 'support, a trolley mounted to travel on said support, a snspen sion-frame pivotally connected to the trolley to permit the latter to vibrate transversely of said support, a traction-cable, a clampingjaw connected to the trolley and movable vertically between guides on the suspensionframe, and a second clam ping-jaw connected to the suspension-frame.

5. In an aerial ropeway, the combination of an elevated guide or support, a trolley mounted to travel on said support, a suspension device mounted upon a pivot at one side of the trolley and permitting the trolley-frame to vibrate transversely of said guide or support, a traction-cable, a clamping-jaw con nected to the trolley and arranged at one side of the traction-cable, and a second clampingjaw connected to the suspension-frame.

6. In an aerial ropeway, the combination of an elevated guide or support, a trolley mounted to travel on said support, a tractioncable, a cable-clamping jaw connected to the WILHELM EICHNER.

Witnesses:

NEROLA OLGIATI, OTTO PUNKE. 

